Elastic Clause

Electoral College

A unique American institution created by the constitution that provides for the selection of the president by electors chosen by the state parties; votes usually represent a popular majority, the winner take all rule usually used in big states

Faction

Federalists

Federalist Papers

Newspapers filled with letters and Articles praising or condemning the constitution. Three men prising it were Alexander Hamilton, James Madison & John Hay. It is one of the few ways we see the thought going into the constitution

Interstate Commerce

enumerated power listed in the US Constitution (1:8:3) .The clause states that the US Congress shall have power to "regulate commerce with foreign Nations, & among several states, & with the Indian Tribes

Supremacy clause

3/5ths compromise

compromise between sothern and northern states reached during the Philadelphia Convention of 1787 in which 3/5 of enumerated pop. of slaves would be counted for rep. purposes regarding both distribution of taxes and a proportionate rep of the house

Civil Liberties

14th Amendment

Constitutional Amendment adopted after or civil war that states "No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or communities of citizens of the US; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without the due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws"

Free exercise clause

Prior Restraint

preventing material from being published; common method of limiting the press in some nations, usually unconstitutional in the US; acording to the 1st Amendment as confirmed in the SCOTUS case Near v. Minnesota

6th Amendment

Plea Bargaining

Bargain struck between the defendant's lawyer and the prosecutor to the effect that the defendant will plead guilty to a lesser crime in exchange for the states promise not to prosecute the defendant for a more serious crime, or additional, crime

8th Amendment

Cruel and Unusual Punishment

Court sentences prohibited by the Eighth Amendment. Although the Supreme Court has ruled that mandatory death sentences for certain offenses are unconstitutional, it has not held that the death penalty itself constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.

Equal Protection of the Laws

Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)

constitutional amendment originally introduced in 1923, passed in 1972; "equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the US or any other state on account of sex"; failed to acquire necessary support from 3/4 state legislatures

Gender Gap

Glass Ceiling

term used to describe "the unseen, yet unbroken/unbreakable barrier that keeps minorities and women from rising to the upper rungs of the corporate ladder, regardless of their qualifications or achievements."

Political ideology

Gender Gap

Term used to refer to a regular pattern by which women are more likely to support democratic candidates; women tend to be less conservative than men and are more likely to support spending on social services and oppose higher levels of military spending

Congressional Campaign Committee

Critical Election

An electoral "earthquake" where new issues emerge, new coalitions replace old ones, and the majority party is often displaced by the minority party. These periods are sometimes marked by a national crisis and may require more than one election to bring about a new party era.

National Committee

National Convention

A national meeting of delegates elected in primaries, caucuses, or state conventions who assemble once every four years to nominate candidates for president and vice president, ratify the party platform, elect officers, and adopt rules.

New Deal Coalition

coalition forged by the Democrats who dominated American politics from the 1930's to the 1960's. its basic elements were the urban working class, ethnic groups, Catholics and Jews, the poor, Southerners, African Americans, and intellectuals.

Proportional Representation

Rational Choice Theory

A popular theory in political science to explain the actions of voters as well as politicians. It assumes that individuals act in their own best interest, carefully weighing the costs and benefits of possible alternatives.

Realignment

Responsible Party Model

A view favored by some political scientists about how parties should work. According to the model, parties should offer clear choices to the voters, who can then use those choices as cues to their own preferences of candidates. Once in office, parties would carry out their campaign promises.

Two Party System

Winner Take All System

an electoral system in which legislative seats are awarded only to the candidates who come in first in their constituencies. In US presidential elections, the system in which the winner of the popular vote in a state receives all the electoral votes of that state

527 Groups

Buckley v. Valeo

a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States upheld federal limits on campaign contributions and ruled that spending money to influence elections is a form of constitutionally protected free speech. The court also stated candidates can give unlimited amounts of money to their own campaigns.

Caucus

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission

a landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court holding that the First Amendment prohibits government from censoring political broadcasts in candidate elections when those broadcasts are funded by corporations or unions

Coattail Effect

Direct Mail

A high-tech method of raising money for a political cause or candidate. It involves sending information and requests for money to people whose names appear on lists of those who have supported similar views or candidates in the past.

Dual Primary

Federal Election Campaign Act

A law passed in 1974 for reforming campaign finances. The act created the Federal Election Commission (FEC), provided public financing for presidential primaries and general elections, limited presidential campaign spending, required disclosure, and attempted to limit contributions.

General Election

Iowa Caucus

Matching Funds

Contributions of up to $250 matched from the presidential Election Campaign Fund to candidates for the presidential nomination who qualify and agree to meet various conditions, such as limiting their overall spending.

Selective Perception

Soft Money

Money raised in unlimited amounts by political parties for party-building purposes. Now largely illegal except for limited contributions to state or local parties for voter registration and get-out-the-vote efforts.

Policy Voting

Electoral College

A unique American institution, created by the Constitution, providing for the selection of the president by electors chosen by the state parties. Although its vote usually reflects a popular majority, the winner-take-all rules give clout to big states.